https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1624912266654101513?s=20&t=EbaaLIhhjIdxhvqycKKTng
Moore balooons 
Edit: probably most likely MOTHERSHIP
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Isn’t that how the bugs attacked in Starship Troopers?
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War of the Worlds and Edge of Tomorrow too.
I hope the aliens are leopards.
The expanse!
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Wouldn’t put it past Elon Musk to start hurling asteroids at Earth because he’s upset over the lack of engagement with his Twitter account.
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That was part of the plot of The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.
SpaceX is pissed because bezos gets to launch a bunch of satellites for his broadband competitor. It all ties together.
China’s foreign ministry says the US has flown balloons into its airspace more than 10 times in the past year.
Questioned on Monday, Beijing said the US had made many airspace breaches.
“It’s not uncommon as well for the US to illegally enter the airspace of other countries,” said foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin at a regular press briefing.
“Since last year alone, US balloons have illegally flown above China more than 10 times without any approval from Chinese authorities.”
“The first thing the US side should do is start with a clean slate, undergo some self-reflection, instead of smearing and accusing China,” he added.
He said Beijing had responded to the incursions in a “responsible and professional” manner.
“If you want to know more about US high-altitude balloons illegally entering China’s airspace, I suggest you refer to the US side,” he said.
That would have played better if they had said it a week ago instead of going with runaway weather balloon. And if they provided evidence.
It wouldn’t be surprising if what China considers to be above its territory is different from what is internationally agreed on. The US challenges territorial claims like that so probably does fly balloons off their coast, just as it does other surveillance aircraft.
Maybe. Balloons being a bit less directional than say a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird.
I doubt China is lying here - more taking it’s time, like it always does, to point out the hypocrisy. And I suspect the US will remain tight-lipped, rather than respond to a claim laid out in a BBC published article.
They likely lied about the thing being a weather balloon. I don’t think they’re exactly lying about US balloons, more that they’re taking advantage of disagreement over what can be legitimately claimed to be national airspace. The US isn’t all that tight-lipped; they’ve already denied the accusation.
Maybe this or the expectation of it prompted China to change their story.
https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1625194804689702912?s=20&t=CJxdNm6WSfffLhoP7eIy0A
Most likely explanation then is it’s just a piss-take by the chinese - I mean they have all the intel they require from fully infiltrating every aspect of US technoligical development for the last few decades so flying a yuge balloon, which could be seen by USAians with the bare eye probably not the extent of their spying powers. Seems weird to make a national security issue out of it so maybe the missles are a publicity stunt.
Which story did China change?
Cummon, what’s in the payload? a couple of go-pros? what could the balloons acheive that a couple thousand chinese satellites and ground operartives couldn’t?
It could be a shoddy bomb casing full of used pinball machine parts for all I know. It’s all a game, if you like. Up to now, the rules said you don’t do this.
Which story did China change?
From “weather balloon” to “the US did it too!” Or do they still want their meteorological instrumentation back?
China has about 70 spy satellites and USA has about 130.
I mean maybe you guys stated ‘nothing to see here my chinese friends, it’s just an off-course weather ballon’ when your’s first got spotted?
I suggest you dismantle it and return it, like they did with that downed jet of the US’ :)
Sure, maybe. But where’s the evidence that happened?
I’ll take your word for it. Though the exact figures may not be known, or published.
The Chinese don’t usually make claims they can not substatiate. They are not on the same level of denial as Russia by quite a long shot, IMO. Perhaps they weren’t that hysterical that they need to down a balloon.
Perhaps the US media were reluctant to report Chinese media / residents reporting US balloons - maybe the US balloons never happened and chinese interlligence are face-palming that the made in china balloons were spotted by the US (residents) before delivering the ‘payload’.
Interesting stuff ;)